News & Announcements

Direct-acting antivirals, used for hepatitis C, may reactivate hepatitis B

A recent Health Canada safety review found that patients infected with both hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses who are being treated for hepatitis C with direct-acting antivirals may experience a reactivation of their hepatitis B. Hepatitis B reactivation is the return of an active hepatitis B infection, which can lead to serious complications such as liver failure.

These products have been found by regulators in other countries to contain undeclared drug ingredients that are not declared on the product label. Prescription drugs should only be taken under the supervision of a health care practitioner.

These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found on the Canadian market, but they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.